Talk to anyone who frequents downtown Chattanooga, and aside from gushing over the scenic views of the mountainous landscape and the Tennessee River, they’re sure to complain about one thing above all: homelessness, especially the increasing visibility of the people experiencing it in the city’s urban core.
In the minds of many, for some reason, the presence of those unfortunate enough to not have a reliable place to lay their head every night detracts from the downtown experience.
Just the sight of unhoused people loitering or sleeping in the street, according to a study last year – funded by local businessman – from the New York-based conservative think tank Manhattan Institute, causes residents to perceive an increase in crime, despite an 11% decrease in crime rates from 2023 to 2024.
In downtown specifically, according to a news release Monday from Mayor Tim Kelly’s office, crime dropped by more than 30% in that time span.
Logically speaking, Chattanoogans should feel safer than ever going downtown, but we are not logical beings. We are driven by fear and our own biases, and one of those is a stigma against the unhoused.